'Monuments Men' bill passes House vote for Congressional Gold Medal

The House voted overwhelmingly Monday in favor of a bill sponsored by Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, to grant a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the Monuments Men, the World War II corps of art experts who rescued over 5 million pieces of art from the Nazis.

The House voted on a voice vote under a suspension of the rules, which requires that two-thirds of the chamber be in favor of it. Although there were only a handful of members in the chamber during the debate, Granger’s bill had solid support – it has 297 co-sponsors. There was no audible opposition.

The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the nation’s highest civilian awards, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.